Not Just the Slugs: Invasive Land Snails and Vectors of the Rat Lungworm Disease in Hawai‘i

April 28 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Not Just the Slugs: Invasive Land Snails and Vectors of the Rat Lungworm Disease in Hawai‘iSaturday, April 28, 20183 – 4:30 p.m. | Hawaiian Hall Atrium Norine Yeung, PhD, Malacologist

Hawai‘i has more than 40 species of established non-native land snails and many threaten native forests, are agricultural pests, and serve as vectors of parasites that cause human and livestock diseases. In this presentation by Bishop Museum malacology researcher Dr. Norine Yeung, guests will learn which invasive land snails are in Hawai‘i and hosts to Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the nematode parasite that is attributed to Rat Lungworm Disease. For the talk, she will also provide updates on the diversity and distribution of invasive snails from research conducted over the past year. Dr. Yeung joined Bishop Museum’s research team in 2015. Her research is focused on understanding the evolutionary mechanisms and processes that generate, maintain and, in some cases, reduce biodiversity. She has extensive research experience in native Hawaiian land snails as well as invasive species. Dr. Yeung also currently serves as the president of the American Malacological Society (AMS).

The Talk Science series is generously sponsored by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation